12 Foods You’ll Miss After Living in Israel

Bring me back to the Shuk.

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Israel is home to some of the best and freshest food. Coming home from all of that deliciousness to your home country makes you miss that food more than anything. You can’t go out and walk to your local falafel cart or fresh smoothie stand anymore. Here are the foods everyone misses after they lived in Israel.

1. Bamba

Photo by Alma Davidohn

Everyone has a go-to snack and that is most likely Bamba if you are in the Holy Land. If you imagined a peanut butter version of a cheese puff, you would get Bamba. It is the perfect balance of peanut butter to put in a snack. Or, you can put it on ice cream as a topping. And the kind they have in stores back at home just doesn’t taste the same. Whether you liked it or not, Bamba was everywhere and part of your Israel experience.

2. Shwarma

Photo by Becca Berland

Shawarma back home isn’t like how it is in Israel. This is fresh meat being taken from the spit and put into pita with anything you like on top of it. Back home, you can’t watch the people working, shave it off of the spit and add everything you want. Plus, people judge you when you put french fries in your pita with shawarma.

3. Limonana

Photo courtesy of @coeurvernis on Instagram

Limonana is everywhere in Israel as a fresh smoothie or an ice cream flavor. It is just what you need to feel refreshed. You get to watch the person making it add freshly squeezed lemon juice, mint, and ice to make the drink of your dreams. Trying to make it back at home doesn’t give it that same special taste.

4. Ice Café

Photo by Helen Broad

Ordering an iced coffee back at home is not the same magic of getting one in Israel. The creamy coffee mix that takes like a shake but has your caffeine fix is a godsend. This is the lovechild of coffee mixed with a milkshake. And it will leave you asking “Frappucino, who?” and you will forever miss Aroma and Cofix.

5. Chocolate Milk in a Bag (Choco Besakit)

Photo courtesy of @mordechai_elish on Instagram

This is something you for sure can never get your hands on back home. To all your friends from home, you sound crazy for drinking chocolate milk out of a bag, but you swear it makes it ten times better. Nothing is as fun as getting a bag with your friend, tearing the corner, and drinking some chocolate milk.

6. Kariot

Photo courtesy of @woollysammoth613 on Instagram

This cereal is everyone’s best friend in Israel. It is the best chocolate cereal to have for actual breakfast or just eat plain. Plus they make it kosher for passover so you can always have it. This is like the Israeli equivalent of Krave, but way better. You can get an outer crunchy cereal layer of chocolate or plain, with a chocolate center. This is good to eat for breakfast or just grabbing a handful for a snack whenever.

7. Cow Chocolate (Elite Brand)

Photo courtesy of @mybites_ on Instagram

This was the chocolate you bought whenever you went to a grocery store and brought back for all of your friends. There were just too many types to pass up. There is plain milk or dark chocolate, and then there were ones with nuts or fruits or other candy inside a delicious chocolate bar. And you will never let anyone forget about the beautiful pop rocks chocolate you had to search for all over.

8. Ice Cream

Photo by Spencer Solit

Israel is a country that knows how to do ice cream. Where can you get Ferrero Rocher or passionfruit ice cream in the States? People back at home don’t know the joys of getting a delicious scoop of ice cream in Israel, and getting it back at home doesn’t compare. Well, Black Tap’s crazy milkshakes are pretty good… but still.

9. Halva

Photo by Rae Steinbach

Whenever in a Shuk or wandering around, it is always a good time to get halva, a sweet sesame candy (because in Isreal, sesame goes in EVERYTHING). It is a treat you can’t get back at home, and getting it fresh from the market is the only way to do it. Coming home will make you miss this sweet and crumbly goodness.

10. Falafel

Photo by Spencer Solit

Falafel back at home doesn’t come close to cutting it anymore after you have been to Israel. Going up to a street vendor and getting freshly made falafel with Israeli salad, hummus, and tahini is something that will see you in your dreams. Falafel is a ball of chickpea goodness, normally served in a pita with Israeli salad and tahini.

11. Shakshuka

Photo by Talia Schaer

The best way to do breakfast in Israel, or any meal really, was with Shakshuka. This is a delectable meal made up of a fresh tomato soup like base with eggs to your liking and spices added in, and normally is served with bread. This made for the best brunch or really any meal ever; you can even get it in sandwich form. And even if you don’t like egg and tomato, like me, this is a meal you can’t pass up.

12. Krembo

Photo courtesy of @amitmark on Instagram

These little marshmallow and chocolate sweets will make you feel like a kid again. It is a big marshmallow with a cookie-like base covered in chocolate. And they also came in mocha and other flavors. They are just the thing to satisfy your sweet tooth. Where in the states are you going to get these light and sweet treats to share with your friends to embrace your childish side?